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Europe Summer – What to Wear

In order to prepare for the trip, I spent my free time reading travel blogs and watching videos about the “dos and don’ts’ of packing for Europe. Armed with ample travel tip knowledge, I felt confident that I had packed everything necessary to blend in to my every-changing environments. Although some advice was spot on, other items were not accurate to what I observed while on the road. So here’s my take on what I found to be helpful and what was not very accurate.

“Europeans dress nicer than Americans”

I wanted to make certain the outfits I selected that were more “dress casual” than “casual”. As we made our way through the towns and cities of Germany, Switzerland, and France, the citizens going about their normal lives did not appear to wear nicer clothing than what I observe in America. The men wore blue jeans and khaki shorts. The women wore casual shorts, the younger women wore skinny jeans. The majority wore knit shirts.

“Europeans do not wear exercise clothing out in public”

This was absolutely true. I did not see yoga pants, gym shorts, moisture wicking workout shirts, nor sweat pants. The only athletic clothing I observed on the streets was worn be the cyclists riding their road bikes.

“Nobody wears tennis shoes on the streets”

Nope. I saw folks in tennis shoes all over the place. The Germans seem fond of Converse, while the French seem to go for whatever is most comfortable for lots of walking. I had brought a pair of stylish black athletic casual shoes, but they did not last through the long days of walking in Paris. I purchased a pair of canvas tennis shoes at a Cora superstore (for 8 euro) and they worked out great.

“Europeans do not wear bright colors”

This one was pretty accurate, although I think its more accurate to say that most of the colors I saw on the clothing of the people there tended to be neutral in nature. Black, white, ivory, brown, navy, and grey were the dominant color scheme. Folks used small bits of other colors to accent their outfits, but still, even in summer, they were of a more neutral tone. Brightly colored t-shirts and dresses really stood out amid the sea of more calming shades. If you are wanting to blend into your environment in Europe, stay with the neutral colors.

“Graphic T-shirts are a no no”

I did see graphic tees, but nothing with a lot of words on it, and nothing that was terribly loud. The t-shirts had tasteful graphics that did not come across as busy nor obnoxious.